School of Podcasting: Expert Tips for Launching and Growing Your Podcast

If you’ve ever thought, ‘I want feedback, but I’m terrified of the internet,’ stay tuned—I’ll show you how to get useful criticism without letting trolls live rent-free in your head.
Two Types of Feedback
I’m sharing how I handle trolls, reviews, and feedback—and how you can turn all of that into fuel to grow your show instead of reasons to quit. I’ll walk you through when to ignore, when to engage, and how to build a trusted focus group that helps you make your podcast better without letting anonymous strangers live rent‑free in your head.
Trolls, Critics and Focus Groups
I break down the difference between true trolls, genuine critics, and helpful focus groups—and how each one fits (or doesn’t) into your growth as a podcaster. I share real stories about nitpicky typo trolls, cyberbullying from years ago, people who send you two and a half pages of “do a different show,” and how other podcasters are using their audience—and even Snapchat—to get honest, constructive criticism.
By the end, you’ll see why I say feedback is the “breakfast of champions,” and why your fear of judgment shouldn’t keep your show stuck on your hard drive.
What You’ll Learn
Trolls vs. Focus Groups
How I define a troll: unsolicited, emotionally charged feedback that’s mostly about getting a reaction.
How I define a focus group: people who actually want to help shape and improve your show.
Why some “trolls” are really just frustrated fans who want attention.

Classic Troll Bait Topics
The three topics that almost guarantee you’ll attract trolls:
Politics
News / current events
Religion
Why I’m okay with pushback when I brush up against these—and why you should expect it if your show leans into them.

My Rules for Dealing with Trolls
Rule #1: Don’t feed the trolls.
I talk about why I always try to wait before responding.
How I “kill them with kindness” when I choose to reply.
Why I often simply say, “Thanks for the feedback,” and move on.
How I remind myself that sometimes people are just having a bad day, and I happened to be standing in front of them.

Turning Feedback into a Tool for Growth
The key question I always ask: “Do they have a point?”
An example: being told, “You interrupt your guests too much,” and how I go back, listen, and honestly assess if they’re right.
How I respond when someone clearly just wants me to do a completely different show than the one I want to make.

How I Engage Without Losing My Cool
Why I sometimes ask, “How could I have done this better?” to separate useful advice from empty criticism.
How I ask for evidence or sources in a non-defensive way:
“I’m interested in digging into this—can you share a link?”
When I’ll share my sources and politely stand my ground.
When I decide it’s time to block, report, and move on, especially on platforms like YouTube.

Knowing My Audience (and My Why)
How knowing who my show is for makes it easier to ignore the wrong people.
Why I consider the nastiest haters as “not my target audience.”
The math I look at: out of hundreds of reviews, only a tiny percentage are negative—but they love to hog my attention if I let them.

Stories and Examples I Share
Mark Maron on Trolls as “Frustrated Love”
A clip from Mark Maron talking about trolls who keep coming back.
How he describes repeat trolls as people who are weirdly in love with you and just want you to get mad so they feel seen.

The Typo Troll
The listener who went absolutely ballistic over typos and sent me 5–6 paragraph rants.
How I handled it when the comments got personal.
How I eventually “trolled the troll” with humor and kindness and watched him disappear (and reappear…and disappear again).

Madame Strangeways & Fear of Feedback
A conversation with Madame Strangeways who was reluctant to ask for feedback because of a cyberbullying incident 20 years ago.
How I encourage her (and you) to start with trusted fans and patrons as a safe focus group.
My “too much salt in the bread” analogy: people who love what you’re making will still tell you if something’s off, because they have to consume it.

Jr. Sparrow & Building a Focus Group
How Jr. Sparrow used Snapchat’s Snap Map to find brutally honest listeners.
How he turned “this show is crap” comments into a small group that now:
Helps him curate which episodes to release.
Shapes themes and content months in advance.
Why he says you need “skin like Shrek” (thick skin, many layers) if you want to attach dollar signs to your show.

Using Feedback Before You Publish
How experienced podcasters (including me) use feedback on topics, guests, and angles before episodes ever hit the feed.
Why I’d rather kill an episode early than spend years promoting something that doesn’t resonate with my audience.

SnapChat's Snap Map Feature
Snapchat’s Snap Maps
https://youtu.be/l4R-wu42gZk?si=BVhAiDeB_Tq6anoO
Getting Data From Snap Map
https://youtu.be/qGxblSXvEbU?si=KoeDP8aI32uKvKjS
My Key Takeaways for You
You are already being judged—at Home Depot, in the grocery line, everywhere—so a few online comments shouldn’t paralyze you.
A tiny slice of reviews will be negative; they don’t outweigh the huge percentage of people who get value from your show.
Feedback is how you get better. You can’t fix what you don’t know is broken.
Learn to separate:
Trolls – don’t feed them, or reply calmly and briefly.
Constructive critics – look for the truth in what they’re saying.
True fans / focus groups – invite them in and let them help you refine the show.
If someone hates your show and clearly isn’t who you’re trying to reach, there’s a simple name for them: not your audience.

Mentioned in This Episode
School of Podcasting – Where I help you plan, launch, and grow your podcast, including listener parties to get safe, constructive feedback.
Ask the Podcast Coach – My live call-in/chat show for free podcast consulting.
Podpage – Website platform for podcasters (I’m the Head of Podcasting there).
Madame Strangeways – True strange stories at madamestrangeways.com.
Jr. Sparrow – WVU Uncommon Place – Society and culture in West Virginia.

Call to Action
Tell me what you think:
Let me know one thing you love and one thing you’d change about this show at schoolofpodcasting.com/contact or schoolofpodcasting.com/voicemail.
Need help with your podcast?
If you want a safe place to get honest feedback and improve your show, join me at SchoolOfPodcasting.com and use the coupon code LISTENER for a discount. It comes with a 30‑day money‑back guarantee.

Mentioned in this episode:
Give Your Podcast A Home
When you look at our podcasting pieces, your media host is the engine. But your website is the home.
It’s where your audience learns who you are, explores your episodes, and decides to subscribe.
At Podpage, we build podcast websites that are fast, reliable, and designed to convert visitors into listeners. Every episode is automatically published, SEO-optimized, and structured for growth—so you can focus on creating, not managing your site.
If your media host powers your podcast, Podpage gives it a place to live—and a place to grow.

Start building your podcast’s home with Podpage by going to www.podpage.com/preview and start your 14 day free trial today.

Nobody shares a video they didn't watch. Nobody shares a podcast they didn't listen to, so how do we get people to listen? This week we follow up form last week's episode about measuring success without downloads and today I talk about completion percentage in Apple, Spotify, as well as Google Analytics. Josh Liston explains how he and his co-host from the SAKÉ THIS show.
How Long Should My Podcast Be?
The stand ard answer is "as long as it needs to be an not a minute longer." However, another way of looking at this is to ask, "How long can you hold someone's attention?"
You Can See How Far People Listen to Your Show
The Apple Dashboard: https://podcastsconnect.apple.com
The Spotify Dashboard: https://creators.spotify.com
Question of the Month Audio Tools
Last week I had a ton of replies to the Question of the Month. The issue is some of you have a ton of bass. Some of you are so clear it's almost shrill. Other have lots of background noise. This use to take me FOREVER to deal with until I started using tools from Accentize. I use a tool called DXRevive Pro cleans up the audio. Their Dialogue Enhance helps adjust the tone and remove noise. Then they have a free plugin called DXLevel that adjusts the volume levels (and it's free).
Takeaways:
How Dave thinks about episode length (and why “as long as it needs to be” actually works in practice)
How to use Apple Podcasts Connect and Spotify for Podcasters to measure completion percentage and attention, not just downloads
Why video and YouTube completion rates look so much worse than audio—and how not to let that crush your ego
How to use Google Analytics or Fathom to see which episodes and pages really resonate
A behind-the-scenes look at the audio tools Dave uses (Accentize DX Revive, Dialog Enhance, and the free DX Level plugin) to make listener submissions sound more consistent
An update on the “free version” experiment of the School of Podcasting and why future focus is shifting to live cohort-style classes

Dave also shares a listener contribution from Josh Liston of the SAKÉ THIS podcast, with two non-download ways he measures success for his Japan-focused comedy show.
Mentioned in this episode:
Podpage is Now Included with Blubrry Hosting
Blubrry Podcasting — one of the longest-running podcast hosting platforms in the industry — has chosen Podpage to replace their built-in website tool entirely. That means every Blubrry hosting customer gets a professional, automatically updated podcast website powered by Podpage, included with their hosting plan.

For Podpage, this is more than a partnership announcement. It’s validation that podcast websites deserve dedicated website tools built specifically for podcasters.
Podpage
Help When You Don't Know Where To Start
I get it. I talk to people looking to launch or grow their podcast. "“There’s too much gear/software — I don’t know what I need.”
Microphones, mixers, hosting platforms, editing software — it’s easy to get lost. Analysis paralysis kicks in fast.
I help podcasters. I've been doing it 20 years. Let me help.
Dave Jackson
schoolofpodcasting.com/join
School of Podcasting
Check Out Dave's Newsletter With Behind the Scenes Content
In each issue of Podcasting Observations, I share my thoughts on what is happening in the podcasting space, my latest content, and things that have caught my eye. I also may ask for your opinion. Join the free community
Podcasting Observations
Question of the Month
So you find out someone is a podcaster, what book would you recommend that they read. Obviously this could be a book about podcasting, or business, or storytelling, or, or... you get the idea. You find out someone is a podcaster, what is the book you recommend (audio or video). I need your answer by July 24th. Don't forget to say a little bit about your show and your website address (so I can add it to the show notes). Go to www.schoolofpodcasting.com/question
Question of the Month

How do you measure the success of your podcast that is NOT downloads?
You’ll hear from a wide range of podcasters in different niches—storytelling, history, prepping, finance, faith, recovery, TV rewatch shows, local podcasts, health, creativity, and more—sharing how they really gauge success. Their answers include:
Direct listener feedback & real‑life impact (behavior change, decisions, staying sober, safer driving, adopting, spending time with Jesus, handling conversations differently)
Engagement & community (emails, voicemails, social comments, active groups, email lists, live events, guest offers, collaborations)
Actions taken (lead magnet signups, newsletter growth, memberships, classes, affiliate links, donations and financial support)
Enjoyment, fun, and personal growth (being excited about the next episode, getting better on the mic, becoming more confident and creative)
Alignment with purpose & service (sticking to your “why,” serving a niche community, “who many” vs. “how many,” “one life at a time”)
Legacy & memory (building an audio/video archive for family, preserving loved ones’ stories, creating a personal record you can revisit)

Along the way, Dave adds commentary on why downloads alone are a poor North Star, how to re‑center on who you serve and why you podcast, and how podcasting can be a tool for service, community, and legacy—not just stats.
Participants In This Episode
Scott from What Was That Like?
Kate from Drafting in the Past
Mark from Practical Prepping
Nancy from Family Food Stories
Buck
Ralph From Content Creator's Accountant
Steve from Podcast Editor's Mastermind
Trip From Home Brewed Christianity Podcast
Spencer from The Recovery Show
Travis from Bestie Approved
Ashriel from Called and Curious Podcast
Dave Interviewed Jesus
Zo from Back Look Cinema
Jen from Women in Podcasting
Marc from Solo Talk and Podcast Branding
Chris from Cool Cars with Chris
Howard from AA Recovery Interviews
Ray from Around the Layout
York from Welcome to Earth Stories
Rob from Softball Central
Dan from Based on a True Story
Tim from Create Art and My Solo MS Journey
Kim from the Pharmacist's Voice and the Perrysburg Podcast
Dave from Fix My Podcast
Mentioned in this episode:
You Have A Message That Needs to Be Heard
You have a message that needs to be shared. Discover the art of podcasting at the School of Podcasting. We teach you to shine a light on your stories, inspiring others one episode at a time.
Let your voice be your legacy. Go to www.schoolofpodcasting.com/join
School of Podcasting
Build the Website You Want with Podpage
Podpage is flexible. If you want to promote something you can put it in the sidebar, on the front page, or at the bottom of every episode (not to mention the navigation bar, the footer and more). Podpage is designed specifically for podcasts. Quit trying to squeeze your podcast into a website made for a yoga studio. Start your free trial at podpage.com/preview
Podpage
Question of the Month
So you find out someone is a podcaster, what book would you recommend that they read. Obviously this could be a book about podcasting, or business, or storytelling, or, or... you get the idea. You find out someone is a podcaster, what is the book you recommend (audio or video). I need your answer by July 24th. Don't forget to say a little bit about your show and your website address (so I can add it to the show notes). Go to www.schoolofpodcasting.com/question
Question of the Month
Live Appearances
I love to meet people when I'm on the road. I'm going to be at
Empowered Podcasting Conference in Charlotte NC
Podcast Movement in NYC
Podindy in Indianapolis In.
For more information and links, go to schoolofpodcasting.com/where
To have me speak at your event, reach out at schoolofpodcasting.com/contacnt
Where Will I Be?

Are you getting the most out of your RSS feed?
To figure out if you are, you first have to understand how a podcast workflow works, which means you need to understand:
what an RSS feed is
how you make one
where you get the best feed
and how you make sure you're getting the most out of it

Don't Make These Mistakes
In this episode, I'm going to explain some of the mistakes I see people making with RSS feeds, especially when it comes to getting the most out of transcripts. In some cases, people aren't putting their transcripts into their media host, which means their transcripts aren't going into their feed. That is not something the best way to maximize your show.
Where Do I Get an RSS Feed?
Your RSS feed comes from your media host. For me, the best RSS feeds come from dedicated media hosts. Places like Captivate, Buzzsprout, rss.com, and Blubrry. All of these do one thing: they host your files, they provide an RSS feed, and they provide statistics.
Make Sure Your Transcripts are In Your RSS Feed
While having transcripts on your website is good, you are missing another opportunity by having them in your feed (which can be used in Podcast apps). When it comes to Podpage, having the transcript in your feed put it into a place where Podpage can grab it and put it on your site.
Don't Hire Your Dentist to Work On Your Car
Other places like Riverside are trying to be a jack-of-all-trades and a master of none. I don't want someone who's not a master of the RSS feed. The RSS feed is like the blood in your veins; it is your veins, and you don't want your veins to be Scotch-taped together. You want an RSS feed that is fully compatible with all the features available for podcasters.
Directing People To Your Site
When I recently tested Riverisde, you could not direct people at the episode level to your site. This is a missed opportunity.
This means that, when somebody is consuming your content in an app, usually there is a link to go to the website, which takes them to, (if you're doing it correctly) your website. On the episode page, I'm offering the ability to follow the show easily on Spotify, Apple, Pocket Cast, etc. If you don't have that link, you're missing an opportunity to send the audience where you want them to go. I need to email Riverside because this just reeks of a company who doesn't really understand podcasting getting into podcasting. Consequently, I know it's nice to have everything under one login, but how hard is it to login to more than one account (especially if you have 1password).
No RSS No Podcast
People keep asking what a podcast is. I'm not sure why. It's audio, video delivered via RSS. This means YouTube is not a podcast. It's a show. Radio is not TV. Both are content. When we blur the definition it messes up all of our reports. People have asked, "Well, the audience thinks YouTube is a podcast are we supposed to tell them they are wrong?" The answer is yes.
Then we could have separate reports on YouTube vs Podcasts.
If someone hears me listening to the band Sum 41, and says, "I love blink 182," I would say, "That's not Sum 41, it's blink 182. You're helping them not look stupid in the future. You would do the same thing if they called a banana an apple.
Other Hosts I Don't Recommend
Spotify: From their lying to their original partners, to making features that only work inside of Spotify (ignoring the open podcast system), and often eliminating features shrtly after they launch (never worldwide). I could go on for hours. Yes, it's free but so is RSS, Buzzsprout, and Red Circle.
Soundcloud: Soundcloud, to the best of my knowledge hasn't implement features that were introduced in 2017. You can buy soundcloud plays (Google it) so consquentially you will never have sponsors while you use Soundcloud.
Mailbag: AMP 30 Second Rule
Thanks to Mark for pushing back on my math. In the end (as of this date) AMP can't decide what their definition is (As they've already changed it). Also one of their "hidden" companies was YouTube. I'm sorry, if you're not doing anything wrong, why are you doing it in secret?
Defined in their original press release as “30 seconds of content played, audio or video, once per user per session”, the corrected text drops any definition of a session length, becoming just “30 seconds of content played, audio or video”. - source Podnews.
Mailbag: How Are Your Updating Your Question of the Month?
Rob from Softball Central asked how I was having the current question of the month appear in episodes that are years old. For the last two years I've hosted on Captivate. I love their business model (Multiple shows for the same price - and their super flexible dynamic content system). Dynamic content doesn't always have to be ads. Here are examples
Question of the month
Where will I be (live appearances)
A pre-roll that mentioned that I had given out a wrong episode number.

They also allow me to tag the current promotional mp3 so later I can easily take all the "questions of the month" and update them with the new, current months question.
Click Here to watch me show this off.
Mentioned in This Episode
The 4 Cs of a Standout Podcast: Clarity, Contrast, Consistency, Character
Sponsor Magnet Book by Justin Moore
Captivate Media Hosting
Buzzsprout Media Hosting
RSS.com Media Hosting
Practical Prepping Show
Softball Central
School of Podcasting
Podpage - Build the Website your show Deserves
Mentioned in this episode:
Have You Heard About the Podpage Assistant?
Here's what it can do:

Identify the best search keyphrase to target — The Assistant analyzes your episode and finds the keyphrase most likely to drive organic traffic.
Generate optimized SEO titles and descriptions — Get search-friendly titles and meta descriptions written for each episode automatically.
Expand your show notes — Turn brief show notes into detailed, search-friendly content that helps Google understand what your episode is about.
Create SEO schema — Automatically generate structured data including FAQs and key takeaways, giving search engines even more context about your content.
Generate episode transcriptions — If your podcast host doesn't provide transcripts, the Assistant can create them for you.
Create companion blog posts — Each episode can get a dedicated blog post that supports your episode's SEO and gives listeners another way to find you.
Automatically categorize episodes — Keep your episode library organized without lifting a finger.
Start your 14 day trial at www.podpage.com/preview

Podpage
Question of the Month
This might be harder question to answer because when I ask people, the sometimes freeze. The question?
How do you measure success for your podcast beyond download numbers?
I need your answer by June 26th, 2026. Don't forget to tell us a little bit about your show and your website address so I can link to it in the show notes.
Question of the Month
Don't...

When I first heard about Flightcast on the Podbiz show, I thought, "I have to have Rox Codes on my show." I had Rox do a Flightcast demo for members of the School of Podcasting. Rox has worked for Mr. Beast, Microsoft, Facebook and many more.
In this episode of the School of Podcasting, I sit down with Rox Codes, co-creator of Flight Cast, the video-first hosting platform built in partnership with Steven Bartlett from Diary of a CEO.
If you’ve been thinking about getting more serious with video podcasting, YouTube growth, or centralizing your stats from multiple platforms, this one is for you.
This content may contain affiliate links, meaning I earn a small commission if you purchase through these links at no additional cost to you. I only recommend products or services I trust and believe will provide value to you. Thank you for your support!
Got Feedback On This Episode?
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Share Your Thoughts
What We Talk About in This Episode
In this conversation, we cover:
What Flight Cast actually is (and who it’s for)
Why it’s a video-first hosting platform
How “one upload, one dashboard” pushes your show to YouTube, Spotify, Apple, RSS, and audio platforms
How you can keep it simple or go crazy with customization
Simple upload, powerful customization
Upload one episode and:
Send video to YouTube, Spotify, Apple, RSS
Send audio everywhere else
Schedule different release times per platform (e.g., 6 AM audio, 8 AM YouTube)
Use different titles, descriptions, and even different edits per platform
Upload separate versions of the file (say “subscribe” in one, “follow” in another)

Use AI to:
Generate titles, descriptions, and chapters in your own style
Auto-format chapters correctly for each platform
All your stats in one place
How Flight Cast pulls:
YouTube views
Spotify streams
RSS downloads
And rolls them up into a single “plays” metric
Additional analytics you get:
Day-by-day performance
New vs returning followers
Cross-platform uniques
Breakdown by platform, country, state, city
A built-in “giant spreadsheet” you don’t have to build yourself
Audience overlap (who listens to episode A and episode B)
Using the built-in AI chat to answer questions like:
“Rank all my episodes on YouTube in the last 6 months by views in the first 24 hours.”
“What’s my 100-day average per episode?”
Ads, programmatic, and retention data

How Flight Cast handles:
Geo-targeting
Programmatic ads
Dynamic ad slots
Why retention graphs matter more than a single download number
How to look at:
Drop-off moments (what caused the skip?)
Chapter jumps (what are people skipping to?)
Rox’s “favorite stat” and why views still matter most in his world
Clips, test channels, and experimentation
Lets you “always be testing” in the background
How to ramp up clips:
Start with 1 clip/day
Slowly increase to 2, 3, then 4 max
Why this kind of ongoing experimentation is like treating your show as a recipe, not a statue
Moving from audio to video (without losing your mind)

Rox’s core idea:
Video isn’t a file format, it’s an algorithm
On YouTube, TikTok, Reels, Shorts: publishing and discovery are the same thing
The big mindset shift:
Audio podcasting = small optimization games (SEO, cross-promo, ads)
YouTube = “get good” at a few big levers:
Thumbnails
Titles
Ideas
Intros
Why the first 30 seconds, title, and thumbnail matter so much more than most of us want to admit
Talking-head video vs fancy production

Why talking heads are NOT bad content:
Joe Rogan is talking heads
Diary of a CEO is talking heads
Why audio quality is still 80% of the experience even on video
When 4K matters (and when it doesn’t):
720 → 1080 is a big jump
1080 → 4K is “nice to have,” not mandatory
Flight Cast’s support for full 4K, including Apple HLS video, and why they built it to “respect” creators who go the extra mile

Who Flight Cast is for and pricing
Target user: serious video podcasters / “intermediate plus”
Why Rox calls it a “jackhammer”—powerful, but you don’t always need that much power
Pricing (at the time of this conversation):
Starts around $50/month for everything except clips
Higher tiers ($100–$250/month) if you want more clips and higher download limits
Basic plan includes:
Up to 50,000 downloads/month
Full 4K video, Apple HLS, no bandwidth charges
Around 3 TB of storage (which almost nobody hits)

Learning YouTube: resources Rox recommends
April Lynn Alter (YouTube channel)
Patty Galloway (YouTube channel)
Creator Hooks by Jake Thomas (newsletter)

A dose of reality about YouTube and video
We talk frankly about:
People who spend days or even weeks perfecting a thumbnail
The sheer amount of time it can take to get good at YouTube

My big point:
It’s okay if you don’t have that time
Just understand what you’re up against so you don’t get discouraged

My biggest fear:
People add video to an already full plate
Burn out on video
Then quit podcasting entirely
I want you to set realistic expectations

Bonus: For audio-only podcasters who still want better stats
PodAnalyst.com – in beta with their pro plan free for now
Tracks:
Listening completion at 25%, 50%, 75%, etc.
How long people are actually listening
To me, that’s the real “is my show any good?” metric:
If people are only listening to 25% of an episode, that’s a signal
You can track up to 10 keywords, share stats with team members, and export data while they’re in beta.

My Takeaways
Here’s what I want you to remember from this episode:
If you go into video, YouTube is an algorithm game, not just a file format.
You don’t need cinematic production; you do need:
Strong audio
A compelling title
A curiosity-driven thumbnail
A sharp first 30 seconds
Tools like FlightCast can:
Save you time by distributing everywhere from one upload
Help you understand your audience by putting all your stats in one place
You don’t have to “go full YouTuber” to benefit from thinking like one.

And again, if you’re already overwhelmed with audio, please don’t feel like you “have to” add video. I’d rather you keep podcasting than burn out chasing an unrealistic video workload.
Links Mentioned
I’ll have links to everything we...